I did Peace Corps. It's a big, complicated decision. If you do it, do it on your terms. Retain control over where you go and what you do. Volunteer experiences are wildly uneven, and what works for one person can be pure hell for another (in terms of job, country assignment, living situation). There is a lot of uncertainty inherent in the experience, but you should not be afraid to get clarity when you can, even though Peace Corps bureaucrats will constantly tell you that you need to be flexible. They tell you this because they know far too little about what types of situations they're sending their volunteers into. It is a physically trying, frequently lonely experience. Living in another culture completely on that culture's terms is draining and can lead to some hostility. You don't always feel like you're really created something valuable to the host country. On the other hand, I did it just after finishing undergraduate, and it was life-changing. My perspective is totally different from what it was before living abroad. There is almost no other program in the world that offers a long-term immersion with such extensive support. Almost all my best friends are people who served with me, and I got back several years ago.
